Clarkson played their first game Saturday night.  They beat the Ottawa
Gee Gee's, 10-1.  I only have a few sketchy details.
 
Clarkson scored the first goal at :40 (or so), another one by 2:00 and
another by 4:00.  They wound up with 5 goals in the first period.
 
Clarkson scored three more goals in the second period.
 
The Gee Gee's goal was early in the third period.
 
One of the questions about Clarkson so far this year has been its goal tending.
Saturday night each goalie had a period.  Phil Comtois played the first period.
He wasn't challenged greatly.  The freshman, Jason Currie, made two good saves
in the second period.  Chris Roggles let a shot from outside of the blue line
in during the third period.
 
Clarkson was disappointed that Ottawa did play better.  They couldn't really
test their defense or goalies.  Mark Morris probably would have liked to see
one of the goalies have a spectacular period and make his decision for this
coming weekend easier.  The team skated quite well throughout the game.
They had a good dry land training period and looked fit.  The passing was
quite crisp and their was good speed all game long.
 
This weekend will be the real tests when Clarkson and St. Lawrence host
Lowell and Northeastern.  SLU played Providence last Friday night but I
don't have any results.
 
One note about Northeastern:  Brian Sullivan of Northeastern is from a
hockey playing family.  He has a brother who is one of the better players
at Princeton.  His older brother Mike, was at Clarkson from '84-'88, but
didn't play, Clarkson's lost.  As with other players, he had problems with
then Coach Kap Raeder, who's now an assistant with the L.A. Kings, where
Clarkson grad Dave taylor is also.  There are two more Sullivan boys playing
hockey, but they won't be in college for another 5 or 6 years.
 
Note about perhaps why THN really favored Cornell for the regular season
title and Clarkson for the league champions:  Clarkson has a permanent
reservation for post-season play and more times than not make it to Boston
Garden.  Maybe THN felt that it was this experience/tradition that will
give Clarkson an edge along with their tendency for peaking for the play-offs.
 
Mike Zak
Clarkson '87, '90